Label printing and accounting machine



13 Sheets-Sheet l H. P. ELLIOTT LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 April z2, 1941.v

April 22, 1941.

H. P. ELLIOTT LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filled April 2. 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HARMo/v i? ELL/OTT al l" mat@ April 22, 1941. H. P. ELLloTT LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING` MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 22, 1941. H, P, ELLIOTT 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HARMo/v l? ELL/arr f BY 15 sheets-snaai 5 H.'P. ELLIOTT LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE April 22,` 19:41.V

Filed April 2, 1940 April 22, 1941. H, Q ELLIOTT v 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 15 Sheets-Sheet 6 lNvEm-on HARMo/v l? ELL/077 4 BY y* I April 22, 1941 H. P. ELLIoT-r 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING vAND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet f7 i .&. +9 T :I HD

INVENTOR HARMo/v l? ELL/ OTT ATTOR Y April 22, 1941. H p ELLlQ-r-r 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 www INVENToR HA RMO/v l? ELL/arr April 22, 1941. H. P. ELLIOTT LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheecs--Sheerl 9 INVENToR l HARMo/v FELL/or-r April 22, 1941. H. P. ELLloTT 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 1s sheets-sheet 1o April 22, 1941. H, ELUQTT 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet 11 F1 .15.

V 1|:.2.. O C) X x X X CRV REF- DEB. CE,

l JOHN A. noa, i ms NEM/Pom favs.I 1 l SAN PEDRO CALIF.

April. 22, 1941. H p ELLIOTT 2,239,355

LABEL PRIHTINGAND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet l2 OEANGE INVEN-ron HARMo/v P ELL/01'1- April 22, 1941- l H. P. ELLIOTT 2,239,355

LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE'l 4 Filed April 2, 1940 13 Sheets-Sheet l5 FCI-E- CRDIT A X INVENTOR HARMa/v F? ELL/arr' Patented Apr. 22, 194i LABEL PRINTING AND ACCOUNTING MACHINE Harmon P. Elliott, Watertown, Mass., assigner to The Elliott Addressing Machine Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 2, 1940, Serial No. 327,425

31 Claims. v (Cl. 101-58) rfiiis invention relates to a machine of the general type shown and .described in U. S. Patent 2,015,552, granted to me September 24, 1935, for printing and addressing Wrappers, designed primarily for use in the free distriblution ofcatalogues andlike publications sent out to induce purchase and promote trade.

The present machine, like the machine of the patent, is designed to print addresses, but here the addresses are applied to label blanks Which, while not differing materially from the Wrappers of the patent, are used by literary guilds, book clubs and like organizations in periodically shipping books and other publications to members or subscribers on charge accounts and the main departures from the patent are, first, in adapting the machine to do the major portion of the accounting work on the stencils from which the addresses are printed, to avoid the necessity and cost of keeping book accounts; second, in utilizing the stencil account formation to control the various machine operations in the passage of the stencils through the same; and third, in producing an account formation upon the stencil from which responsive vmachine action is obtainable to print a complete statement of the account, dated, addressed and in itemized amounts.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the machine acts automatically to reco-rd on .the

address bearing stencils passing through the f same, debit entries, in code form, representing charges against the addresses for the books sent them and so positions the entries as to indicate the dates of shipment of the books. To make the accounts complete on the stencils, entries for current book offersrefused and credit entries for books paid for, or returned, are recorded thereon by hand.

In printing labels, the machine is adapted to distinguish betweengood and bad accounts, being guided by the recorded debit and credit entries `on the address bearing stencils, to limit the printing to labels for the good accounts only, rejecting the bad account stencils and sorting them, out for billing or other appropriate action by the collection department of the business.

Inthe present embodiment of the invention, the debit-and credit entries of the stencil accounts preferably take the form that permits electric circuits to be completed through them, which act to eil ect appropriate ma chine operation according tothe condition of each addressees account.

`'Io simplify the machine action, the entries on the stencils are made in simple code form, such for example, as a round or other shaped mark,

which may be of Y electrically conductive ink `printed on the stencil, or of thin sheet metal,

stapled tothe stencil, but, to meet practical requirements to greater advantage, a punched hole is preferred, through which a metallic circuit is completed for the passage of electric currents, for the purpose above stated.

To accommodate and give definite meaning to these code'signs, to which .the machine will respond by appropriate action and which may be read at a glance, the frame of the stencil is extended above the address panel to receive the punched openings and is charted to represent an .account form, with debit, credit and other space markings, Ato, indicate the character of the punched entries therein.

Thus it Will be seen that in addition to forming a complete and permanent account record on the address stencil bi each club member or subscriber, the punched holes serve the important purpose of enabling circuits to be completed) through them to permit or prevent certain operations of the machine.

If, for example, a member or subscriber has exceeded a set limit` of credit, as shown by the debit entries, and the absence of offsetting credits, the machine will be pre-set by the circuits completed through the openings, for non-print, as to this stencil. That is to say, no address label will be printed from the stencil as it passes through the machine and as the printed address label is the sign to the shipping department to send a book to the addresssee, there will be no shipment to that subscriber and no charge entered and the only action of the machine on the stencil Will be to sort it out and deposit it in a special hopper provided for delinquent accounts. y

If, on the other hand, the limit of credit has not been exceeded, again as shown by the vaccount formation on the, stencil, the circuit completed through the openings Will permit normal operation of the machine, which is to print an address label, punch a 4debit charge opening in a dated the shipment of other than current books and position such entries in the account form of thel stencil, to indicate Whether-or not f a chalice is made for the book. l

If no charge is to be made, as for bonus books, sent free to subscribers whose accounts have been in good standing for a period :of say, six months, the machine will distinguish, as above described, between good and bad accounts, by the action of the circuits completed through the openings in the stencils and limit the printing of labels for the shipment :of bonus books, to the good aecounts only.

Before the stencils are run through the machine to print labels for the shipment of bonus or other books, sent free of charge, a blank'- stencil of orange pr other selected color, having a specially positioned hand-punched hole in the margin thereof, is placed in the stack above the l address stencil of each member whose credit showing in the stencil account entitles h impto such a book. In the run of the stencils through the machine, the circuits completed through the marginal hole in the blank orange stencil, will pre-set the macchine to print, punch and deposit theaddress stencil it follows in the good account hopper and deliver the orange stencil to the discard or delinquent hopper.Y

In like manner, when extra charges appear, hand-entered, on the address stencil of a member or subscriber, a black, or other colored stencil, blank as to name and address, but having a handpunched openingspecially positioned therein, is placed'in'the stackl above each of such address stencils, an-d the circuits Icompleted through the openings of the stencil and its markers will preset the machine first for operation according to the condition of the stencil account and then for non-printing the black marker and depositing it in the same hopper with the address stencil for the attention of the billing department,

rIihe machine, above referred to, that utilizes the present account formation of the stencils for printing addressed statements, in itemized amounts, has been made the subject of a separate application and will not, therefore, be further described.

It will be apparent from the disclosure herein that the machine is adaptable to serve purposes other than as an aid in conducting the business of a literary guild or like organization and may beused to equal advantage in any iield in which vthere is periodic shipment of articles on charge accounts orof which a reference record is desired.

'Ihe accompanying drawings will serve to illustrateY a machine suitable for carrying my invention into effect, but I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit myself to either the exact form or details of the mechanism shown, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a like view, on an enlarged scale, of a p ortion of the machine, showing the adjustable punch-carrying member and the mechanism for opening and closing the discard or delinquent hopper. Y Y

Fig. 3 Vis an enlarged detail sectional View, on

the line 3 3 of Fig. l, showing the mechanism of Fig. 2, in elevation and partial section.

4 is a cross section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, through the discard or delinquent hopper, showing the mechanism for opening and closing the saine.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on the line .li- 5 of Fig. 1, showing the ratchet feed for the timing device of the opening mechanism of the delinquent hopper and supplemental stencil feed device operating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail cross section on the line 6 6 of Figs. 1 and '7, showing the printing and punching mechanisms.

Fig. 7 is a rear View, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the machine, showing the timing devices for the printing, punching and delinquent hopper mechanisms.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8 8 ci Fig. 7, showing the timing devices for the printing and delinquent hopper mechanisms, appearing in elevation at the bottom of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9 and 10 are cross sections on the lines 9-'49 and Iii-QI@ of Fig, 8. Fig. 11 is a cross section on the line II-II of Fig. 7, showing the punch timing device and operating mechanism.

Fig. l2 is a plan View of the selector head and operating mechanism,

Fig. -13 vis a cross section on the line 3-i 3 of Fig. 14 is a section on the line I-M of Fig. 7 showing the paper feed mechanism,

Fig. 14a is a detail View of the paper feed roll.

Fig. 15 is a view in diagram of the machine circuits.

Fig, 15a is a detail view showing the selector head and plug-in connections in operative relation to the stencil.

Fig.. 16 is a diagrammatic showing of the circuit controlling the paper feed. Y

Fig. 17 illustrates diagrammatioally successive feed steps of the stencils in their passage through the machine.

Fig, 18 shows the relative time periods the circuits are closed in each machine cycle by the selector, and the circuit breakers.

Fig. 19 shows the account form of theY address 'stencil utilized to indicate diagrammatically the plug-in Vconnections from the panel or switchboard of the machine to the selector head to detect debit and credit entries in the account.

Figs. 20 to 24, inclusive and 26, are similar views with different plug-in connections indicated to meet different stencil account conditions.

Fig. 25 shows an address stencil in association with a black stencil blank.

Fig. 25a. is a similar showing of a blank orange stencil, and l Fig. 27 shows in full lines the finishedV label and in dotted lines the perforated edges of the web that'are trimmed off.

Referring now tothe drawings, the present machine is designed to produce an addressed label 26, of the type shown in Fig 27, and a'debit charge account on each address bearing stencil or device from which a label is printed, examples of which are shown in Figs. 19 to 26.

Across the top of the label, at 2i (Fig, 27) aD- pears the name, etc. of the club, Vguild or other distributor of b'ooksan'd likepublications, for the shipment of which the labels are used. Adjacent the left side"offthela'bel, at 22, there is printed information for the postmaster and below that,vat 23, the s itencivlled name and address of the club member or subscriber to whom the labeled bock- Qr ptherfpubiication is to lo@A sent.

the prior art in pre-printing the blank formson the web and in mounting the same in roll or other form in the machine or in the provision of the commonly employed slack take-up for the web, guides for carrying it under the stencils in the address printing position to a feed rol1 and in shearing means for trimming and cutting the labels from the web, a detailed showing and description of this mechanism is not deemed necessary, as the present invention is not limited to the same and may employ other means for accomplishing the same result, if desired.

The web containing the printed label blanks is wider than the finished label, as delivered by the machine, and has a line of perforations 25 along each edge, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 27, designed to be engaged by pin-like teeth 26 of a roll 21 (see Figs. 14, 14a) by which positive feed the paper is intermittently advanced in steps of equal length through the machine. In the nal operation of the machine, the perforated edges are trimmed off and the labels cut one by one from the web to reduce them to the form shown in full lines in Fig. 27.

, The paper feed roll is given step by step rotation to advance the paper in timed relation with the feed o-f the stencils, by a ratchet 29 and pawl 3l] (Figs. 14, 14a). The ratchet 29 is fast on the shaft 3l of the toothed' feed roll 21 and the pawl 39 is carried by an arm A32, that is made fast to a pinion 33, loosely mounted on the shaft, the arrangement being such that as the pawl carrying arm 32 is oscillated, motion is transmitted to the feed roll to intermittently advance the paper in steps of equal length. Cooperating with the pinion 33 there is a rack bar 34, which is reciprocated by an eccentric drive 35 from a continuously driven shaft 36, acting through a rod 31, having a pin and slot connection with a bell crank lever 38, pivoted to the rack bar. Cooperating with the bellcrank` lever there is a spring latch 39, which yieldingly holds it positioned while the pin 4l) idles in the slot 4I. The slot is provided at its lower end with a right .angular extension 42, in which the pin 40 is normally positioned by the gravitating `clockwise tendency of the free end of the slotted rod 31. With the pin in the offset of the slot, motion is transmitted through the bell crank lever 38, rack 34, pinion 33 and ratchet feed 29, 30, to rotate the roll 21, and advance the paper for each operation of the printing mechanism.

As the address printing operation is limited to certain only of the Astencils run through the machine, as will be hereinafterexplained, provision is made for stopping the feed of the paper' during each machine cycle a stencil is passed by the printing mechanism without a label being printed from it. This is accomplished by the action of a solenoid 43 (Figs. 14-16) which, when energized, acts through a spring retracted rocker arm 44, linked to the core 45 of the solenoid, to move the upper end of the slotted rod. 31, to the left, as viewed in Fig. 14, t position the pin 49 in the slot proper, where it Vidles, as the rod is reciprocated by the eccentric drive, thus cutting off transmission of motion tothe paper feed.

The circuit of the solenoid 43 (Figs. 6, 16) indicated by leads 46 from a source of supply 41, to ground 48, includes a rotary make and break device 49, mounted on a continuously driven shaft i 50 and a self-opening switch 5l, of the push-button type, which latter is closed by an engaging extension 52 of the operating armof the printing mechanism, hereinafter described, when the arm is inactive or at rest.

With the switch closed, the circuit is completed when the `metal segment 49a of the rotor 49o, turning in a clockwise direction, comes in contact with the roller 49e of an arm 49d and the solenoid thus energized, acts to swing the free end of the rocker arm 44 to the left, to shift the pin 4u fromthe offset 42, into the slot proper, as above described, to cut off transmission of motion to the paper feed roll.

rWhen the operating arm is swung upwardly to operate the printing mechanism, as hereinafter described, and the extension 52 thereof moves clear of the switch 5I, the slotted rod 31 and the contact segment 49aI of the rotor 49h, are at or near the lower limit of their movement, with the pin 40 idling in the slot 4l. After the printing operation is completed and as the operating arm starts to swing downward, the slotted rod 31 reaches the limit of its upward movement, as shown in full lines in Fig. 14 and the solenoid 43 being deenergized, the spring 44a yiel-dingly holds the free end of the rocker arm 44 clear of the slotted rod 31, permitting the latter to swing to the right and position the pin in the offset of the slot, to reestablish drivingrelation between the rod 31 and the bell crank for transmission of motion to the feed roll to advance the paper for the next printing operation.

It will thus be seen that the feed of the paper is controlled by the operating arm of the printing mechanism in opening and closing the circuit switch 5l of the solenoid 43. Opening the switch renders the rotary make and break device 49v ineffective and prevents the solenoid from being energized.A Closing the switch enables the device 49 to complete the circuit and the solenoid thus energized acts at the critical moment when the eccentric drive rod 31 is at the limit of its upper stroke, with the pin 4B in the offset 42 of the slot` 4|, to shift the pin into idling position in the slot proper, as previously stated.

In the normal operation of the machine, different stencilled addresses are successively applied to successive label blanks of the web and each stencil or printing device is punched or otherwise marked for each label address printed therefrom, the addressing and punching operations being under the control of the stencils or printing devices in their successive advance through the machine.

The address bearing stencil 53 employed herein (see Figs. 19 to 26) is substantially similar in form to the stencil disclosed in my prior patent referred to, excepting that here the extension 54a of the stencil frame 54, in which the holes 55 are punched, carries `the complete account of the club member or subscriber, whose name and address appear in the stencil panel 51. Thee-Xtension 54a is appropriately charted to serve as an account form 56, covering, in the present instance, a period of two years, in which provision is made for debit, credit and other entries. The numbers 1 to 12vinclusive printed in the square spaces of the two upper cross rows of each section of the account form, represent the twelve i months of the year and the blank spaces under the numbered rows are for monthly credit entries in the subscribers account. 'I'he letters R,`S, P, R, at the left of the four cross rows of spaces, are the rst letters of Refusedj Shipped, Paid and Returned and are to be understood as having the meaning of these words, as the following will make clear.V

In book clubs and like associations, .it isvcus'tom'- ary in sending out the monthly or other current issue, to accompany .it with 1an announcement ofthe titles, `etc. of Aone or `more books proposed for the next current issue, to enable members or subscribers, if the proposed booksarenotto their liking, to lgive notice of their refusal to `accept the same. Assuming such notice t'o be received by thevolub from a member, as to the book proposed for the next current issue, `let fu's Vsay for October, the members address-bearing stencil is then hand punched in the Atenth vsquare indicated at EBinrthe numbered upperrow, as shown in Fig. 23, for example, at the left of which row appears vthe letter R,-the account sign of refused. If`

then the member fails to approve some other -book proposed by the club before the current issue for October is ready .for shipmenuthe presence of the hand punched hole in hisaddress stencil, positioned as described, will permit a circuit to be completed through the hole, in the run of stencils for the October shipment, that will cause that stencil to pass through Ythe machine, without any machine operation upon it, other than `to deposit it, according to the condition of the members account, as shown Yby previously7 punched 'debit and credit entries on the stencil, in either the good or bad account hopper.

Assuming the same advance announcement to a member for the current issue for November, f"

whose acceptance is indicated to the `club by its failure to receive notice of his refusal; if the members account is paid up or if he has not exceeded the limit of credit, as shown, for example,

Vin Fig. 23, by the previously punched holes in his address stencil, the machine circuits completed through such punched holes, will not alect the normal operationof the machine, as to this stencil, in the November run of stencils through the the stencil for use in shipping the November current issue to the addressee. Following the printing of the address label, and again in the normal operation of the machine, a debit entry will be punched under the space numbered 11, in ythe second cross row of spaces marked S, .the account sig-n for Shipped `vand thereafter the stencil will be deposited in the hopper for good accounts.

Payments received from members are indicated on the address stencils by hand-punched credit entries in the third cross row of spaces, marked P, the account sign for Paid and as such payments are ordinarily made in amounts equalling the charge for one or more books, they cancel one or more of the `debit entries in the row above, all of which Vis detected by the machine circuits in determining the lcondition of the account, as the stencil is run throughI themachine.

If, after a book has Ybeen shipped-to alrnember, let us say, the current issue for August, -and his stencil account has been `charged with the shipment by a debit entry hole punched :in the space numbered 8 in vthe second row of spaces,

. marked S, as shown in Fig. 21, for example, Ythe Returned Such balanced entries-will have ,no y, eiiect upon the normal operation 'of themachin'e, 1

same and an address label will be printed fromffic inthe next current run of stencils through the same and,1mless the vmember gives noticeio his refusal to accept the next current issue, as above described, the machine will print an address label for its shipment and punch a debit charge for it on his address stencil.

The spaces to the right of the numbered spaces, crnarked B, and FB, are for account entries for books other than the current monthly issues, above described, such as a nrst book, sent to new members or subscribers, for which a charge is made and a bonus book, sent free of charge to subscribers whose accounts have been paid up or who have not exceeded the limit of credit for a period of say, six months.

The blank spaces further to the right are for entries by hand, covering special items or sundry charges, etc.

The above described address bearing stencils o1' devices, representing the mailing list of a book club, guild or other organization, are stacked one above the Vother in a magazine or hopper Sii, located at the right hand end of the machine (see Figs. l and 17) and fed one at a time from the under side of vthe stack by and on each forward stroke of a reciprocating pusher (not shown) to a grooved track El. The track extends entirely across -the machine for the delivery of the stencils to one or the other of two hoppers .62 and 63, at the left hand end of the nachine, as viewed in Fig. 1, depending upon the condition of the stencil addressees account. lThat is to say, if 4the stencil account shows that the limit oi credit has been exceeded, the stencil is deposited in the hopper t2 for delinquent accounts, ii .the limit of credit has not been eX- ceeded, it is deposited in the hopper 63 for good accounts. Y

rThe stencils are advanced intermittently in the track across themachine, in steps of equal length, by the action of the reciprocating pusher labove mentioned, and, in the operation of the machine, this step-by-step feed action is continuous. As shown in Fig. l, .the direction of reed oi Vthe stencils is .at right angles to that of the paper and they meet and cross each other in the address printing position, which is the fourth feed step from the stencil magazine B, as best shown in Fig. 17.

rlhe -above method and means Vfor feeding the stencils step by step across the machine, is substantially the same .as disclosed in my prorpatent referred to, but here a supplemental feed is employed toinsurethemaintenance of close edge to edge relation between the stencils as they are advanced in the track. This supplemental feed is preferably located, as indicated at E in Fig. 1,

.between the .printing and punching mechanisms cially important 'for the punching operation, as

the spaces in the stencil account form are small and unless the punched entries are centered in "the spaces, the selector pins will not pass freely Vthrougli them-and in Vbinding therein, may fail to close-circuits `to pre-set the machine for the op- 2,239,355 the condition of the stencil erations required by accounts. l

Motion is transmitted from a continuously driven shaft to oscillate the pusher nger shaft, once during each machine cycle, through cam 59o, fast on the shaft, rocker arm 59d, spring retracted rod 59e, crankarms 59f, 59g, on shaft 59h, link 591', and arm 597' on finger shaft 59h, the arrangement being such that each stencil, on

' entering the punching position, is given a light forward push, accurately positioning the same for centered action by the punch in the stencil account space to which the punch is adjusted.

In the lposition taken by an address stencil, in the rst feed step from the magazine 69 there is no machine action upon it.

The next feed step, the second from the maga-` zine (see Figs. 1 and 17) brings the stencil into position to be acted upon by a selector (see Figs. 12, 13 and 15a) the general construction and operation of which are substantially the same as the selector disclosed in my prior patent referred to and need not therefore be described `at length, except as to detail differences.

The purpose of the selector is to close certain ,d

circuits, determined by the punched account entries in the stencils and `thereby pre-set the machine, through the operation of time controls, for subsequent action on the stencils.

The selector head 64 (Figs. l2, 13) is provided with a series of openings 65, corresponding in number and spacing with the spaces of the charted account form onA the Vaddress stencils. These openings (Fig. 15a) are designed to receive the terminals 66, of flexible connections 61, that are plugged in between thelselector head and the panel or switchboard 68 of the machine, to connect the selector with various circuits, hereinafter described, controlling the machine operations. The plug terminals project through and below the selector head and are -pointed to facilitate entry into the punched holes 55 in the stencils, through which they pass when the head is lowered, to make contact with a metal plate, pan of mercury cr other conductor, serving as a common ground E9, for all selector circuits. The selector head is lowered and raised in time with the step-by-step feed of the stencils, to test each one as it is advanced two feed steps from the magazine. The pointed ends of the plug terminals telescope in the usual manner into the socketed body portion or' the plugs, and springs within the sockets hold the pointed ends advanced but free to yield when contacting entry spaces of the stencil account form which have not been punched.

The raising and lowering of the selector head is eirected in the usual manner by a rack 16 and toothed sector 1| (Figs. 12 and 13) and the latter is given motion through a series of arms and links, by an arm 12, provided with a terminal roller 12a (Figs' 6 and 7) withwhich a cam 13 cooperates, the cam being carried by an oscillating sector 14, mounted on a shaft 15. A spring 12b aots'through the arm 12, to maintain the roller in engagement with the cam.

As an address stencil is advanced beyond the selector orv three feed steps from the magazine, there is no machine operation upon it.

The next feed step, four steps from the magazine, brings the stencil into the address printing position, above the paper web and between the printing roll and the platen.

The printing roll 8|) (Figs. 1 and 6) is` rotatably secured in the usual manner between forwardly 'extendingarms 8| of the yoke 82j pivotedat 83 to the frame of the machine and is provided with a horizontally elongated passage 84 therein through which the label sheet or web is advanced. The printing roll 8] is supplied with ink through an ink drum 85, from inking mechanism not necessary to describe in greater detail since it may be anything, suitable or common in the art. The yoke Ahas a depending arm 85 that is reciprocated by an operating arm 81" to move the printing roll Bilinto and out of engagement with the stencils in the stencil track. The operating arm` 81, carried by a horizontal shaft l15, mounted beneath the table in brackets S9, is connected with the arm 86 through a link Sil. The platen 9| is reciprocat'd vertically in the usual manner to hold the label sheet in position underthe stencil at the time of printing and also` to move downwardly away from the stencil to permit the web to be advanced. The reciprooatory movements of the platen are-` in timed relation with the advance of the stencils to effect a printing operation upon successive stencils when'theyV are stationary in printing position. Since it is desirable to pass selected stencils through the printing position without printing from them, the operating arm 81 has a disengageable connection with the oscillating sector 14 to permit the power mechanism to advance successive stencils without 'operating the printing mechanism. This disengageable connection'Csee Figs. 6 and 7) comprises a latch 93 that is pivotally mounted at 94 to the end of thecperarting armV 81 and has a detent 95 that is adapted to engage a notch 86 of the oscillating sector to connect-.the arm 81 and sector 14 for conjoint movement. A `.spring 91 `acts upon the latch 93 to normally urge the latch for interlockingfconnection with the sector 14. Selector operating mechanism controlled by the successive stencils, is provided to effect disenA gagement of the latch from the oscillating sector to disable the printing mechanismV when itis not desired to address a label by a selected stencil.

This mechanism includes a vertically extended lever 9B (Figs. 6 and 7) that is pivoted at 99 on'a bracket xed to and depending below the'rear edge of the table. The lever 98 has `an offset cam extension |80 that cooperates with a cam roller lill journaled at the end of the latch 93l and so disposed that it can engage thercller and hold the latch detent 95 out of the notch 86 of` the sector 14. The lever 98 is connected with a tension spring |82 that normally urges the lever into a position removed from the latch 93 so that the latch can remain engaged with the sector during the oscillating movements thereof. The lever 98, however, can be held normally'in a latch disengaging position and thereby in a of the lever 98 in latch disengaging positionv soV that the printing mechanism is disabled. The

hook H54 can be elevated and thus moved away from engagement with the detent |93, to release the lever and permit the latching of the oper.

ating arm 81 and sector 14, for the operation of the printing mechanism. The raising of the hook |64 is effected by a pivoted lever |96 (see Fig. 1) having the core of a solenoid |01 pivoted near the end thereof remote from the hook. When the solenoid is energized, the core is drawn down and the other Vend of the lever is raised to elevate the hook from engagement with the lever detent |03. The energization of the solenoid |01 is governed by selector mechanism through the control of the stencils. The solenoid is adapted to be momentarily energized so that the hook after releasing the lever 98 is free to fall and subsequently reengage and again hold the lever when it is re-set. The lever is re-set at each stroke of the sector 14, by means of a cam` block |08 carried by the sector and having a cam face |08 at its upper end that is adapted to engage a roller carried by the arm of the lever 98. At each upward stroke of the sector, the cam engages the roller ||0 and thereby moves the lever 98 in a clockwise direction and into the reengagement of the hook |04. Y With the hook as thus described and arranged, a printing operation is effected upon each stencil that permits the circuit to be closed and the solenoid |01 energized.

While the account entry marks of the present l machine take the form of punched holes and are preferred, for many reasons, as previously stated, the same result can be obtained by a printed spot of electrically conductive ink or by a thin metal disk stapled or otherwise secured to the stencil. Either of these last mentioned forms would require the use of double contact selector plugs to complete circuits through the marks appearing on one side only of the stencils but no change other than this would be required in the construction and operation of the machine as shown anddescribed.

The punching mechanism of the present machine is mechanically connected to be pre-set by the address printing mechanism, to punch each 1.

stencil from which a label is printed, after' the stencil has been advanced two feed steps from the address printing position. Thus connected, the punching mechanism cannot operate upon a stencil the addressing mechanism has passed without printing and remains idle when such stencils become positioned for the punching operation. The connection between the two mechanisms is such that they may operate or remain idle simultaneously, or one may operate while the other remains idle, without interfering with the step-by-step advance of the stencils through the machine but the feed of the paper is stopped, as previously explained, during each period the printing mechanism is idle.

The punch and die |2| are carried by Separable sections |22 of a bar-like member |23, which are spaced apart to provide clearance for the stencil track between them, with the punch above and the die below the stencils in the track,

as best shown in Fig. 6.

The punch is mounted at the outer end of the upper section of the member |23, which is apertuled for the passage of the punch and yieldingly holding the punch flush at the bottom of the opening, there is a spring |24 enclosed in a cylindrical casing |25, which is removably secured in position by screws orl bolts. At its upper end, the punch is provided with a anged head |26 which projects through an opening in the casing, the flange serving as a stop shoulder to limit the action of the spring, which tends to force the punch upward. The die is mounted in the lower section of the member 23 in line with the punch.

The punch-carrying member 23 is adjustable to set the punch for operation on any one of the squared spaces of the account form of the stencils and as these spaces are comparatively small, accuracy in centering and setting the punch is important for subsequent selector operation and to avoid uncertainty in reading the account.

To facilitate the adjustment of the punch and insure accuracy in the setting, triple guides |21, |28 and |29 are provided, as shown in Fig. 2, which duplicate either the entire space formation of the stencil account or that portion of it over which the punch is adjustable to meet ordinary requirements. y

The guide |21 is an exact duplicate of the account form of the stencils and a tapered pointer |30 extending from the punch-carrying member |23 to the guide |21 serves to locate the particular square on the stencil account form in which it is desired to have the punch opera-te and assists in positioning the punch-carrying member on the other guides |28, |29, where it is secured by headed pins |3| entering openings |32 therein corresponding to the space to which the pointer |30 is adjusted on the guide form |21. This three-point guide adjustment centers the punch and die for operation in the space indicated by the pointer, on the stencil that has been advanced in the stencil track t0 punching position. As thus adjusted, the punch-carrying member is iirmly clamped by a bar |33 and setscrew |34 shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The punch is operated by a presser head |35 mounted in guides |36 to reciprocate vertically and is provided with a rack bar formation |31 which is engaged by a toothed sector |38. The presser head is dimensioned to cooperate with the punch in any position to which it may be adjusted for operation. Motion is transmitted to the toothed sector to reciprocate the presser head (see Figs. 6 and 1l) by an arm |39 made fast to or formed in part with the sector, from which a vertically disposed link |40 extends to a second arm |4| pivoted at |42 and provided with a roller |43 at its free end, with which a cam |44 on a continuously driven shaft |45 cooperates. The connection between the arm |4| and the link |40 is formed by slotting the link at |46 to receive the projecting end of the pin |41 on which the roller |43 is mounted. The slot is elongated vertically kto normally permit the pin to idle therein, as it is moved up and down by the cam actuated arm |4| without transmitting motion to the link. A right angle extension |48 is provided at the lower end of the slot and when motion is to be transmitted through the link, to operate the punch, the slotted end of the link is automatically shifted to the left by a time control device, to bring the oifset extension of the slot into engagement with the pin.

As previously stated, the punch is pre-set by and in the operation of the printing mechanism, to punch each stencil from which an address is printed, after the stencil has been advanced two feed steps beyond the address printing position.

This delayed action is effected by the above men- Q of a disk |50 mounted fast on a' shaft |5| and provided withv eight equi-spaced pins '|52 which are shiftable axially to project from either face of the disk, being yieldingly held as adjusted by springs |53. Normally the disk pins all project from the left face of the disk. as viewed in Fig. 7, and, in cooperation with a cam extension |54 of the link |40, against which they ride, hold the link vertically disposed, with the pin |41 idling in the link slot. The disk is given step-bystep rotation by a ratchet feed, the number and length of the steps per revolution, corresponding tothe number and spacing of the pins of the disk. The ratchet feed, best shown in Fig. 6, comprises the usual ratchet |55, mounted on the disk shaft |5|A and provided with a `tooth for each pin of the disk. A cooperating pawl `|51 carried by an arm |58, turning loosely on the shaft, is spring held in engagement with the ratchet and is given motion by an eccentric drive (rod |59 and disk |60) from the power-driven shaft |45.

In each printing operation, the operating arm 81 of the printing mechanism (see Figs. 6 and '7) is given an upward movement and carries with it an extension |62, the cam end |63 of which, cooperating with a roller |64 on the fend of a spring retracted rod |65 mounted in bearings |66, moves the rod to the right in opposition to its spring |61 causing it to engage and shift the uppermost pin |52 of the disk |50. As shifted, the

pin projects from the opposite face of the disk L and thus positioned, will clear the cam extension |54 of the link |40, as the disk is rotated clockwise two steps by the ratchet feed, as viewed in Fig. 11, permitting the link to be swung far enough to the left by a spring |68 to bring the offset Vportion :if

|48 of its slot |46, into engagement with the pin |41. With the pin thus adjusted in the slot, the link will be moved upward by the cam |44 on the next revolution and, through the arm |39, toothed sector |38, rack |31, and pressing head |35, Operate the punch. This adjustment serves for one operation only of the punch and upon its completion, 4the mechanism returns to normal position.

The repositioning of any disk pin or pins, shifted as above described, is effected by a fixed cam |69 i The stencils, after passing through the printing u and punching positions, are advanced along the track and deposited in hoppers 62, 63 (Figs. 1 to 4) according to the condition of the stencil account` If the account is in arrears, the stencil is deposited in hopper 62 but if in good condition, in hopper 63.

The stencil track 6| is continuous from the magazine 60 to the entrance to the delinquent hopper 62 and from that point to the hopper 63 for good accounts, there is a separate track section |82, pivoted at |83 to permit the free end thereof, adjoining the main track, to be raised and lowered, as required, to selectively distribute the stencils advanced along the main track into the two hoppers.

Normally, the free end of the pivoted track section |82 is lowered to provied a continuous way for the passage of good account stencils to the hopper 63 being yieldingly held thus by a spring |83a coacting with a member |34, which bridges the track section near its free end,` as shownin Figs. 2 and 4. The pivoted track section is raised to' openl thehopper 62 for the entrance and'deposit therein of stencils of delinquent members or subscribers, by the timed operation of an actuating device, which is pre-set for such stencils by the selector 64as the stencils are individually tested by it, to determine the condition of the account of the addressees The action that results in expiring a stencil by causing it to be deposited in the delinquent hopper, is effected by the selector closing a circuit, hereinafter described, through a hole in the stencil, that energizes the non-print and expire electromagnet numbered 6 (Fig. 15) b-y which a second circuit, hereinafter described, is closed to energize the actuating solenoid |85 of one of two timing devices |86, |81, employed for delaying the operation of the eX- pirator seven stencil feed steps from the position in which it is acted upon by the selector.

These timing devices |86, |81, like that above described for pre-setting the punching mechanism for delayed operation, employ similar eight pin disks rotatable step-by-step, by ratchet feeds |89 and 203, but here the disk pins are axially shifted by solenoids |85, |90, acting through pivoted trigger levers |9|, |92. A disk pin thus shifted in the timing device |86 acts, three feed steps later, to close the circuit switch |93 of the solenoid |90. When energized, this solenoid shifts a disk pin of the second timing device |81 to engage and give motion, four feed steps later, to a lever |94 that controls the entrance of stencils to the discard or delinquent hopper. The lever |94 (see Fig. 4) pivoted at |95 has one end pivotally connected to the member |84 that bridges the pivoted track section |82 and is provided at its free end with a cam face |96 so shaped that when engaged by a `disk pin of the timing device, the free end of the lever` will be depressed and the other end elevated to raise the track section and open the discard hopper for entrance of each delinquent account stencil, as it leaves the main track. The disk pins shifted as above described, are reshifted and returned to normal position by being brought into engagement with fixed cams |91, on continued rotation of the disks.

Electric power for operating the various circuits of the machine is obtained from any suitable source of supply, such as a lighting circuit, and is stepped down by a transformer 200 from the usual lighting voltage to a lower voltage for which the electrical apparatus employed is designed.

The normal operation of the printing mechanism, as previously described, is to print an address from each stencil that comes into printing position and the mechanism is set for such operation by control circuits that are automatically closed and opened in timed relation with the stepby-step feed of `the stencils through the machine.

To set the printing mechanism for operation, the energizing circuit of a solenoid |81 must be closed by a switch 20| and this is accomplished in the step-by-step rotationof a timing device 202.

When the solenoid |01 is thus energized, it rocks arm |66, releasing latch |04 and freeing arm 98, to permit the pawl 93 of the arm 81, to engage the notch 96 of the sector 14 and connect the arm and sector together to give motion through the link and depending arm 86, to operate the printing roll, as previously described.

The timing device 202, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 15 and in detail in Figs. 7 to 10, is the same as employed in the above described discard hopper and punching mechanisms, and consists of an eight pin disk, rotated step by step by a ratchet feed 203. The disk pins 204 are shifted by a 

